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Why Is He Not In The Scene? R Ashwin Questions CSK Star's Continued Absence from Indian Team
Follow UsHe has played 23 T20Is and six ODIs for India so far
Ruturaj Gaikwad has a solid T20 International (T20I) record. In his 20 innings for India, he has slammed 633 runs at nearly 40 to go with a strike rate of 143.53. Yet, given the talent at India's disposal, he finds himself out of contention.
Added to that, he also has an excellent record in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with over 2,500 runs at a strike rate of 137.47.
He last played for India during their depleted tour of Zimbabwe last year. He has also played six One-Day Internationals (ODI), last playing in 2023. However, former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin is baffled that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain has not even been considered for selection in a while.
“We do not need to talk about Ruturaj Gaikwad’s class. He’s got all the shots in the book. The only thing is there is no information as to why he is not in the scene after his last T20 series," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“When he played the last T20 the coach was different, the captain was different. The issue is if there is no communication with such players they will largely be left in the dark. I really hope he is being communicated to. He is batting brilliantly in red ball as well. I hope they consider him for a middle-order role."
Ashwin believes that in the modern era, teams do not pick openers with a strike rate of 145. Hence, he believes there is no place for anchors like Virat Kohli or Shubman Gill with the way the format is progressing.
“In modern-day T20 cricket, you will not be selected as an opener if you come with a strike-rate of less than 145. I am very sorry to say. You like players like Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, all these players who are setting it up for you," he said.
"You could win the T20 World Cup because of how Virat played in the final against South Africa. But when you have players like these on one side, you need to fight on the other side. That’s why Rohit took it upon himself,” he said.
After being dropped from India A's red-ball team last year, he has shown excellent form in the Ranji Trophy with scores of 91, 55*, 116 and 36*. He will be seen in action for India A during the white-ball games against South Africa A next week.